Remote control switching circuit



March 7, 1961 M. STIMLER 2,974,260

REMOTE CONTROL SWITCHING CIRCUIT Filed June 28, 1957 INVENTOR. MORTON STIMLER ATTYS United States Patent REMOTE CONTROL SWITCHING CIRCUIT Morton Stimler, Silver Spring, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed June 28, 1957, Ser. No. 668,833 7 Claims. (Cl. 317--137) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to a remotely controlled flipvflop circuit and more particularly to a circuit for controlling a relay having two operated positions in which the relay is actuated from one position to the other position in response to an impulse received from a control circuit. I

In accordance with the present invention, closure of a switch causes'an impulse to be transmitted from a source of potential to a two position relay causing the armature of the relay to move from one of its set positions to the other of its set positions, this operation being repeated once for each impulse received. A control relay'is provided for interrupting the impulse circuit in time delayed relation with respect to the impulsein such manner that anism has been restored to an initially open condition.

Another object is the provision of a new and improved relay flip-flop circuit employing a flip-flop relay and a control relay'therefor for limiting the operations of the relay to a single actuation thereof in response to each impulse received from an impulse transmitting mechanism.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing on which is shown the present Patented Mar. 7, 1961 densers 22 and 23 are connected in parallel with coils invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment 7 thereof.

The flip-flop relay circuit shown on the single figure of the drawing comprises a relay indicated generally by the numeral 10 having a pair of cores 11 and 12 carrying coils 13 and 14 respectively and adapted to be engaged selectively by a permanently magnetized armature 15. When so engaged the armature is maintained in engagement with the end face surface of the core by magnetic attraction therebetween after the current through the associated coil has been interrupted. The armature 15 is provided with contact elements adapted to engage contacts 16 and 17 selectively in accordance with the instant position of the armature, the north end N thereof for example when engaging the end of core 12 causing contact 16 to be closed and the south end S thereof when engaging core 11 causing closure of contact 17. Contact 16 is connected as by the conductor 18 to one end of coil 13 and in like manner contact 17 is connected by conductor 19 to one end of coil 14, the oppo- 13 and 14 respectively.

There is also provided a slow operating relay 24 having one end of the winding thereof connected to conductor 21 and the other end of the winding connected to conductor 25 by way of resistance 26. Relay 24 is provided with a normally closed contact 27 connected to conductor 25 and thence to a normally open switch 28 in such manner that potential from battery BA is applied by way of conductor 25 and the normally closed Contact 27 of relay 24 and conductor 29 to armature 15 of relay 10 when switch 28 is closed. Means such as the mercury switch 31 illustrated is operatively connected to armature 15 and adapted to control the plurality of output circuits illustrated in accordance with the instant position of the armature.

The operation of the device will now be described. Let it be assumed, by way of example, that armature 15 is in the position shown on the drawing with the end N thereof in engagement with core 12. Switch 28 is now closed to transmit an impulse to the flip-flop relay.

The closure of switch 28 applies potential to the armature 15 of relay 10 and thence by way of Contact 16 and conductor 18 to coil 13, the circuit through the coil being continued by way of conductor '21 to the other terminal of battery BA. The energization of coil 13 causes the end S of the armature to be moved quickly into engagement with core 11. As the end N of armature 15 moves away from core 12, contact 16 is disengaged thereby interrupting the circuit from core 13 to battery BA. The application of operating potential to coil 13 caused condenser 22 to be charged and the discharge of this condenser through coil 13 upon disengagement of contact 16 insures maintenance of the electromagnetic field set up by coil 13 for a period of time sufiicient to insure reliable operation of the armature into engagement with core 11.

The operation of switch 28 also caused the battery potential to be applied by way of resistance 26 to relay 24 which, it will be recalled, is a slow operating relay by reason of a copper slug or the like affixed to one end of the core thereof. By providing a slow operating relay 24 in the manner disclosed, the interruption of the circuit to armature 15 of relay 10 is effected at contact 27 of relay 24 just after the circuit to coil 13 has been interrupted at contact 16 and before contact 17 is engaged by armature 15 whereby coil 14 is not energized as contact 17 is engaged and thus the flip-flop relay 10 makes but a single operation for each depression of switching key 28. When key 28 is released, relay 24 is deenergized and at contact 27 thereof the control circuit to relay 10 is reestablished.

When it is desired to restore relay 10 to the position shown on the drawing, the key or switch 28 is again operated thereby applying battery by way of armature 15 and contact 17, conductor 19 and thence to coil 14, the circuit being continued by way of conductor 21 to the other pole of the battery. Coil 14 is thus energized and restores the armature to the position shown on the drawing, the condenser 23 being employed to insure such operation after the coil operating circuit is interrupted at Contact 17. Relay 24, as in the previous operation prevents additional or spurious operations of flip-flop relay 10 until key 28 has been released.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A flip-flop relay circuit comprising a flip-flop relay having a pair of cores, a pair of normally deenergized coils disposed on said cores, a permanently magnetized armature pivoted for movement into engagement with each of said cores selectively as the coils are momentarily energized in alternative sequential order and for maintaining the armature in engagement with each of said cores selectively by magnetic attraction therebetween when said pair of coils are deenergized, a pair of condensers connected across said coils, a pair of switching contacts on said armature interconnecting each coil therewith when the armature is displaced from the core on which the coil is mounted, a source of potential, a control circuit interconnecting the flip-flop relay with said source of potential, said control circuit including a manually manipulative key for selectively applying potential from said source to the flip-flop relay, a slow operating relay having a normally closed contact included in said control circuit and the winding thereof connected to said key in a manner to cause the slow operating relay to operate when the key is closed and at the normally closed contact thereof interrupt the control circuit a predetermined period of time after the key has been closed, said predetermined period of time being the time interval required for the armature of the flip-flop relay to move from a position of rest after the circuit through the operating coil thereof has been closed by said key.

2. A relay circuit according to claim 1 including at least one switching element operatively connected to the armature of said flip-flop relay and controlled thereby for giving an output signal correlative with the instant position of the armature.

In a flip-flop relay circuit of the character disclosed, in combination, a flip-flop relay having a pair of cores and a permanently magnetized armature pivoted for movement selectively into two positions of rest in normal engagement with either of said cores, electromagnetic means for momentarily energizing said cores selectively thereby to actuate the armature from one position of rest to the other position of rest regardless of the instant position of rest from which the armature is moved, switching means controlled by said armature for interrupting the operating circuit of said electromagnetic means as the armature moves from one to the other position of rest, a source of potential, means including a normally open impulse device operatively interconnecting said source of potential with the flip-flop relay, said last named means comprising a normally closed contact, a slow operating relay actuating means for said contact connected to said impulse means and battery for interrupting the interconnection between the battery and the fiip-fiop relay a predetermined period of time after the impulse device has been closed, said period of time being the time interval between the closure of the impulse device and the movement of said armature from one to the other of said positions of rest.

4-. The combination of claim 3 in which said electromagnetic means comprises a pair of coils disposed on said cores respectively.

5. The combination of claim 4 including a pair of condensers connected in parallel with said coils respectively for maintainnig said cores energized for a period of time sufiicient for said armature to be actuated to said other position of rest after said operating circuit has been interrupted.

6. In a flipfiop relay circuit, in combination, a flipfiop relay comprising a pair of cores each having a coil thereon, a permanently magnetized armature pivoted for movement selectively into two positions of rest in normal engagement with either of said cores, a pair of contacts on said relay, contact means carried by said armature for engaging said contacts selectively in accordance with the inst-ant position of rest of the armature, means connecting said contacts to said coils in such manner that the coils are energized singly in successive order to move the armature from one position of rest in engagement with one of said cores to another position of rest in en gagement with the other of said cores, and means for applying a potential to said contact means for a period of time only sufiicient to effect such movement of the armature.

7. In a flip-flop relay circuit, in combination, a flipfiop relay comprising a pair of cores each having a coil thereon, a permanently magnetized armature pivoted for movement selectively into two positions of rest in normal engagement with one of said cores, a source of potential, a normally interrupted two conductor circuit for establishing an electrical connection between the relay and said source when the circuit is closed, means in series with one of said conductors for momentarily closing said circuit, and switching means carried by said armature for connecting one of said coils to said source for momentary energization thereof as said circuit is closed thereby to move said armature from one position of rest to the other position of rest, the armature being yieldably held in each of said positions of rest by magnetic attraction to one of said cores after said circuit has been interrupted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,281,392 Kelly Oct. 15, 1918 1,940,718 Koch Dec. 26, 1933 1,951,362 Johansson Mar. 20, 1934 2,455,060 Holmes Nov. 30, 1948 2,745,971 Robertson May 15, 1956 2,794,157 Chisholm May 28, 1957 

